Red Sox's Marco Hernandez: Unlikely to begin 2019 in majors

Rotowire
Nov 19, 2018

Hernandez (shoulder) isn't expected to begin the 2019 season with the Red Sox, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Hernandez underwent shoulder surgery in July -- his third shoulder surgery in less than 14 months. It's unclear if the injury will prevent him from breaking camp with the big club, or if the Red Sox are simply content with Brock Holt, Eduardo Nunez and Tzu-Wei Lin as their reserve infielders.

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Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia: Won't require surgery

Rotowire
Nov 19, 2018

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Pedroia (knee) will not need surgery this offseason, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Instead, Pedroia -- who was limited to just three games in 2018 due to lingering left knee inflammation -- will continue rehabbing through the middle of December before ramping up his activities from there. The veteran second baseman is expected to start running in January, and if all goes well, the hope if that he'll be ready for the start of the 2019 campaign.

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Red Sox's Blake Swihart: Will work as catcher in spring

Rotowire
12M ago

The Red Sox intend to have Swihart work primarily as a catcher in spring training, though he'll continue to take reps at other positions during the offseason, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

With Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon entering the 2018 season as the Red Sox's top two backstops, the Red Sox groomed the switch-hitting Swihart for a utility role in an attempt to maximize his opportunities. With the exception of Dustin Pedroia (knee), Boston generally enjoyed good health from most of its core contributors, resulting in Swihart making only 207 plate appearances. The lack of consistent playing time likely had a negative impact on Swihart's performance at the dish, with the 26-year-old managing a lowly .229/.285/.328 line (64 wRC+). That was still better offensive production than either Vazquez or Leon offered, so Swihart could get the chance to factor into the timeshare behind the plate more frequently if his defense is up to par. That has always been the main concern for Swihart, however, so if he fails to show improvement in that regard the spring, a long-awaited trade elsewhere could finally materialize.

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Red Sox's Steve Pearce: Returns to Boston

Rotowire
2D ago

Pearce signed a one-year, $6.25 million contract with Boston on Friday, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports.

It shouldn't come as any surprise that the Red Sox wanted Pearce back in the fold after he claimed World Series MVP honors for his role in the Fall Classic. Pearce was a valuable contributor for Boston after coming over in a trade from Toronto in late June, and finished the regular season with a slash line of .284/.378/.512, recording 11 home runs and 42 RBI in 76 games. He figures to serve as a platoon partner to Mitch Moreland next season, so look for Pearce in the lineup when a southpaw opposes the Red Sox.

Red Sox's Mookie Betts: Named AL MVP

Rotowire
4D ago

Betts was named the 2018 American League Most Valuable Player on Thursday.

The awards keep piling up for Betts, who was also honored with a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger for his stellar 2018 campaign. The 26-year-old was incredible across the board for the World Series champs, joining the 30-30 club (32 homers, 30 stolen bases) while leading the majors in batting average (.346), slugging percentage (.640) and runs scored (129). Betts has solidified himself as one of the bonafide five-tool superstars in the league.

Red Sox's Juan Centeno: Signs MiLB deal with Boston

Rotowire
6D ago

Centeno signed a minor-league contract with the Red Sox on Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Centeno had a brief stint with the Rangers early in 2018 but spent the bulk of the season with Triple-A Round Rock, accruing a .234/.291/.307 slash line. Christian Vasquez, Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart are all under team control in 2019, likely leaving Centeno to provide catching depth should he remain in the organization through the season.

Red Sox's Steven Wright: Has procedure on knee

Rotowire
7D ago

Wright underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday and is expected to be ready to pitch for the 2019 season, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.

Wright picked up a knee injury during the first game of the ALDS against New York, and he didn't appear for the rest of the postseason. He'll have nearly the entire offseason to recover from the procedure and should enter spring training as a strong candidate to win a spot in the starting rotation.